Chapter 294 - Greatness of Ajogandheśvara (Ajogandha-īśvara)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-3. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the holy spot named Puṣkara situated within five Gavyūtis to the east of Kaubera Sthāna.

O great goddess, it is the place where a Kaivarta (fisherman) became a great Siddha.

The Devī said:

O Maheśvara, O Lord of Devas, do have the favour of narrating in due details, how he attained Siddhi.

Īśvara said:

O goddess, listen to what happened long ago in Svārociṣa Manvantara. Once there lived a fisherman, a killer of fishes, of very evil conduct.

4. Once that sinful man went to Puṣkara while wandering here and there. He saw the abode (shrine) of Śaṅkara fully overgrown with creepers and trees.

5. It was the month of Māgha. He was distressed due to cold and was burdened with a wet net. The distressed fellow climbed up the mansion with a desire to bask in the sunshine.

6. He spread the wet net over the flagstaff on the top of the mansion in order to get it dried by the Sun’s rays.

7. Then, O goddess, he slipped down from the top of the mansion due to cold. He died instantly, O goddess, in that holy place of Śiva.

8-10. A great deal of time elapsed and the net became tattered and worn out. Since that worn out net did the work of a flag on the top of the auspicious mansion the fish-killer was born on the earth as a king, thanks to the greatness of the flag. The intelligent king was well-known as Ṛtadhvaja in Saurāṣṭra country. He moved about all over the earth in a chariot with the shining flag fluttering. He was valorous. He ruled the kingdom. Yet he was overwhelmed with a great desire for sensual pleasures. He raised a shining flag, a clean banner of variegated colours, over the abode of Śaṃbhu. Although he was very rich and powerful, he did nothing else.

11-12. The king had the power of remembering past births. He came to Prabhāsa Kṣetra and noticed there the shrine of Lord Ajogandha which he had propitiated formerly. It was fully equipped with clusters of flags and festoons. He built a mansion to the Lord with all the requisites of Śiva, the auspicious one.

13. He adored it everyday. He worshipped the sin-destroying Liṅga devoutly. The noble-minded king ruled over the kingdom for ten thousand years.

14. In due course he passed away and went to heaven, thanks to the power of that Liṅga.

Hence a devotee should try to go there and worship the Liṅga by all means.

15. He should take his holy bath in the Kuṇḍa (holy pit) which is to the west. It is Puṣkara, the thief (remover) of sins. It was here that Brahmā formerly performed a Yajña with the full complement of liberal monetary gifts.

16. Aja (Brahmā) invoked all the Tīrthas from Puṣkara, O fair lady, and got them flowing into the Kuṇḍa near the sweet scents. He installed the great Liṅga which came to be known by the name Ajogandha.

17-18. O great goddess, in that sin-destroying Tripuṣkara a devotee should offer a golden lotus to a leading Brāhmaṇa after duly worshipping the deity with sweet scents, flowers, raw rice grains etc. in accordance with the injunctions. He is rid of all sins committed in the course of seven births.